Glossary of chess

This page explains commonly used

terms in chess in alphabetical order.
Some of these have their own pages, like
fork and pin. For a list of unorthodox
chess pieces, see fairy chess piece; for a
list of terms specific to chess problems,
see Glossary of chess problems; for a list
of chess-related games, see List of chess
variants.

A
absolute pin
A pin against the king is called
absolute since the pinned piece cannot
legally move out of the line of attack
(as moving it would expose the king to
check).[1] Cf. relative pin.

active
Describes a piece that threatens a
number of squares, or that has a
number of squares available for its
next move. It may also describe an
aggressive style of play.[2] Antonym:
passive.
Envelope used for the adjournment of a match
game Efim Geller vs. Bent Larsen, Copenhagen
1966

adjournment
Suspension of a chess game with the
intention to finish it later. It was once
very common in high-level competition,
often occurring soon after the first
time control, but the practice has been
abandoned due to the advent of
computer analysis.[3] See also sealed
move.

adjudication
A way to decide the result of an
unfinished game. A tournament
director, or an impartial and strong
player, will evaluate the final position
and assign a win, draw, or loss
assuming best play by both players.[4]

adjust
See Touch-move rule. To adjust the
position of a piece on its square
without being required to move it. A
player may only do this on their turn,
and they must first say "I adjust", or the
French equivalent J'adoube.[5]

advanced pawn
A pawn that is on the opponent's side
of the board (the fifth rank or higher).
An advanced pawn may be weak if it is
overextended, lacking support and
difficult to defend, or strong if it
cramps the enemy by limiting mobility.
An advanced passed pawn that
threatens to promote can be especially
strong.[6]

advantage
A better position with the chance of
winning the game. Evaluation factors
can include space, time, material, and
threats.[2]

Alekhine vs.
Nimzowitsch,
1930
abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Alekhine's gun

Alekhine's gun
A special form of battery in which a
queen backs up two rooks on the
same file.[7]

Algebraic notation
algebraic notation
The standard way to record the moves
of a chess game, using alphanumeric
coordinates for the squares.[8]

amateur
Any player whose main occupation is
not chess.[9] The distinction between
professional and amateur is not very
important in chess as amateurs may
win prizes, accept appearance fees,
and earn any title, including World
Champion.[10] In the 19th century,
"Amateur" was sometimes used in
published game scores to conceal the
name of the losing player in a Master
vs. Amateur contest. It was thought to
be impolite to use a player's name
without permission, and the
professional did not want to risk losing
a customer.[11] See also NN.

analysis
The study of a game or a position, in
order to evaluate the quality of the
moves and various other aspects of
the game or position. At the end of a
game, the players will often do an
analysis of the game. Cf. post-
mortem.[2]

annotation
Written commentary on a game or a
position using words, chess symbols
or notation.[2]
announced mate
A practice, common in the 19th
century, whereby a player would
announce a sequence of moves,
believed by him to constitute best play
by both sides, that led to a forced
checkmate for the announcing player
in a specified number of moves (for
example, "mate in five").[12]

antipositional
A move or a plan that is not in
accordance with the principles of
positional play.[13] Antipositional is
used to describe moves that are part
of an incorrect plan rather than a
mistake made when trying to follow a
correct plan. Antipositional moves are
often pawn moves; since pawns
cannot move backwards to return to
squares they have left, their advance
can create irreparable weaknesses.[14]

Anti-Sicilian
An opening variation that White uses
against the Sicilian Defense (1.e4 c5)
other than the most common plan of
2.Nf3 followed by 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4
(the Open Sicilian). Some Anti-Sicilians
include the Alapin Variation (2.c3),
Moscow Variation (2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+),
Rossolimo Variation (2.Nf3 Nc6
3.Bb5), Grand Prix Attack (2.Nc3 Nc6
3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 and now 5.Bc4 or
5.Bb5), Closed Sicilian (2.Nc3 followed
by g3 and Bg2), Smith–Morra Gambit
(2.d4 cxd4 3.c3), and Wing Gambit
(2.b4).[15]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
   
5  5
 
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Arabian mate

arabian mate
A checkmate that occurs when the
knight and rook trap the opposing king
in a corner.[16]

arbiter
See International Arbiter.

Armageddon game
A game that is guaranteed to produce
a decisive result, because if there is a
draw it is ruled a victory for Black. In
compensation for this White is given
more time on the clock. Often White is
given six minutes, and Black five. This
format is typically used in playoff
tiebreakers when shorter blitz games
have not resolved the tie.[17]

artificial castling
Refers to a maneuver of several
separate moves by the king and by a
rook where they end up as if they had
castled. Also known as castling by
hand.[18]

attack
An aggressive action on a part of the
chessboard, or to threaten the capture
of a piece or pawn.[19] See also
defense.

Example of
attraction
abcde f gh
8     8
     
7 7
6 6
 
5   5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

White wins with

1.Rd7+! The
black king is
attracted away
from the defense
of the black
queen with a
skewer.

attraction
A type of decoy involving a sacrifice of
a minor or major piece on a square
next to the enemy king, forcing the king
to abandon the defense of another
square. For example (see diagram), the
black queen has interposed to block a
check from the white queen, and White
can check the king from the opposite
direction to win the queen.[20]

automaton
An automaton is a self-operating
machine, in chess it refers to chess-
playing machines that were in fact
hoaxes and under the control a hidden
human players. Automatons stirred up
great interest in the 18th and 19th
centuries, and inspired early thoughts
of the possibility artificial intelligence.
By far, the most famous chess-playing
"automaton" was The Turk, whose
secret of human control was kept for a
very long time. When the Turk was
recreated in the 1980s, the addition of
 a chess-playing computer made it a
true automaton.[21][22]

B
B
Symbol used for the bishop when
recording chess moves in English.[23]

back rank
A player's first rank (the one on which
the pieces stand in the starting
position); White's back rank is Black's
eighth rank, and vice versa.[24] Also
called first rank or home rank.

back-rank mate
A checkmate delivered by a rook or
queen along a back rank from which
the mated king is unable to move
because it is blocked by friendly pieces
(usually pawns) on the second rank.[24]
Also called a back-row mate.

back-rank weakness
A situation in which a player is under
threat of a back-rank mate and, having
no time/option to create an escape for
the king, must constantly watch and
defend against that threat, for example
by keeping a rook on the back rank.[24]

backward pawn
A pawn that is behind a pawn of the
same color on an adjacent file and that
cannot be advanced with the support
of another pawn.[25]
 abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
 
5     5
     
   
4     4
     
3     3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

White has a bad

bishop, Black has
a good bishop
(Evans &
1967:66).

bad bishop
A bishop that is hemmed in by the
player's own pawns.[26] See also good
bishop.

bare king
A position in which a king is the only
man of its color on the board.[27]

Basque chess
A chess competition in which the
players simultaneously play each other
two games on two boards, each
playing White on one and Black on the
other. There is a clock at both boards.
It removes the bonus in mini-matches
of playing White first. Basque chess
was first played in the 2012 Donostia
Chess Festival in the Basque Country,
Spain.[28] Also called Basque system.
 abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
    
5         5
     
4     4
 
3  3
   
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

A pair of white
rooks are aligned
along their
battery, ready to
do some action.

battery
To double rooks on a file, or to place a
bishop and a queen on a diagonal.[19]
In chess problems, battery refers to an
arrangement of two pieces in line with
the enemy king on a rank, file, or
diagonal so that if the middle piece
moves a discovered check (or a threat
other than a check) will be
delivered.[29]

BCF
British Chess Federation, the former
name of the English Chess
Federation.[30] See ECF.

BCM
An abbreviation for the British Chess
Magazine.[31]

BCO
An abbreviation for the 1982 openings
reference book Batsford Chess
Openings, by Raymond Keene and
Garry Kasparov. The second edition
(1989) is often called BCO-2.[32] Cf.
ECO and MCO.

best play
The theoretical absolute and ideal best
moves from any given position.[33]

Charousek
vs. Maroczy,
1895
abcde f gh
8      8
     
7       7
     
       
6     6
     
5   5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

The white bishop

is doing the work
of a pawn and
has no bigger
prospects.

big pawn
A bad bishop stuck behind its own
pawns and defending them—
effectively doing the work of a
pawn.[34]

bind
A strong grip or stranglehold on a
position that is difficult for the
opponent to break. A bind is usually an
advantage in space created by
advanced pawns. The Maróczy Bind is
a well-known example.[35] See also
squeeze.

bishop
 

bishop pair
The player with two bishops is said to
have the bishop pair. Two bishops are
able to control the diagonals of both
colors. In open positions, two bishops
are considered to have an advantage
over two knights, or a knight and a
bishop.[19] Also called the two bishops.

bishop pawn
A pawn on the bishop's file, i.e. the c-
file or f-file. Sometimes abbreviated
"BP".[36] Also called bishop's pawn.

bishops on opposite colors

A situation in which one player has
only a light-square bishop remaining
while the other has only a dark-square
bishop remaining. In endgames, this
often results in a draw if there are no
other pieces (only pawns), even if one
side has a material advantage of one,
two or even three pawns, since the
bishops control different squares (see
Opposite-colored bishops endgame).
In the middlegame, however, the
presence of opposite-colored bishops
imbalances the game and can lead to
mating attacks, since each bishop
attacks squares that cannot be
covered by the other.[37] Also called
bishops of opposite colors.

black
The dark-colored squares on the
chessboard are often referred to as
"the black squares" even though they
are often some other dark color.
Similarly, "the black pieces" are
sometimes actually some other
(usually dark) color.[38] See also white.
Black
The designation for the player who
moves second, even though the pieces
("the black pieces") are sometimes
actually some other (usually dark)
color.[39] See also White and first-move
advantage.

blind chess
See Kriegspiel.

blindfold chess
A form of chess in which one or both
players are not allowed to see the
board.[40]

blind pigs
A pair of rooks on the opponent's
second rank are referred to as "pigs" as
they tend to devour pawns and pieces,
and "blind pigs" if they cannot find the
mate.[41]

blitz chess
[from German: Blitz, "lightning"] A fast
form of chess with a very short time
limit, usually 3 or 5 minutes per player
for the entire game. With the advent of
electronic chess clocks, the time
remaining is often incremented by 1 or
2 seconds per move.[42]

abcde f gh
8    8
     
7     
          7
6 6
         
5      5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Black has a solid

light-square
blockade. White's
bishop cannot
challenge Black's
minor pieces.

blockade
The placement of a piece directly in
front of an enemy pawn, where it
obstructs the pawn's advance, and
hinders the movements of the other
enemy pieces. The enemy pawn
provides some shelter to the piece that
is blocking it, thereby protecting it from
attacks by enemy pieces. A blockade
is most effective against passed or
isolated pawns. The ideal piece to use
as a blockader is the knight. This
strategy was famously formulated by
Aron Nimzowitsch in 1924.[43][44]

blocked position
A position where both sides are
constrained from making progress,
typically by interlocking pawn chain(s)
dividing the available space into two
camps.[45] See also closed game.

blunder
A very bad move, an oversight
(indicated by "??" in notation).[19]

board
1.  See chessboard.
2.  An assignment in team chess, e.g.
first board, second board, etc.

Schulder vs.
Boden,
London 1853
abcde f gh
8       8
         
7   7
   
 
6        6
       
5      5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Boden's Mate

Boden's Mate
Boden's Mate, named for Samuel
Boden, is a checkmate pattern in which
the king, usually having castled
queenside, is checkmated by two
crisscrossing bishops. Immediately
prior to delivering the mate, the
winning side typically plays a queen
sacrifice on c3 or c6 to set up the
mating position.[46]

book draw
An endgame position known to be a
draw with perfect play. Historically this
was established by reference to chess
endgame literature, but in simplified
positions computer analysis in an
endgame tablebase can be used.[47]

book move
An opening move found in standard
reference books on opening theory. A
game is said to be "in book" when both
players are playing moves found in the
opening references. A game is said to
be "out of book" when the players have
reached the end of the variations
analyzed in the opening books, or if
one of the players deviates with a
novelty (or a blunder).[48]
book win
An endgame position known to be a
win with perfect play. Historically this
was established by reference to chess
endgame literature, but in simplified
positions (currently seven pieces or
fewer) computer analysis in an
endgame tablebase can be used.[49]

break
A move that gains space and therefore
freedom of movement, or the opening
of a blocked position by the advance or
capture of a pawn.[50]

breakthrough
Penetration of the opponent's position,
or destruction of the defense, often by
means of a sacrifice.[19]

brevity
[chiefly British] See miniature.

brilliancy
A game that contains a spectacular,
deep and beautiful strategic idea,
combination, or original plan.[50]

brilliancy prize
A prize awarded at some tournaments
for the best brilliancy played in the
tournament.[51]

Bronstein delay
A time control method with time delay,
invented by David Bronstein. When it
becomes a player's turn to move, the
clock waits for the delay period before
starting to subtract from the player's
remaining time.[52]

Bughouse chess

bughouse chess
A popular chess variant played with
teams of two or more.[53]

building a bridge
Making a path for a king in the
endgame by providing protective cover
against checks from line pieces. A
well-known example is the Lucena
position.[54]

bullet chess
Each side has 1 minute to make all
their moves.[55]

bust
A refutation of an opening, an opening
line, a tactic, or a previously published
analysis.[56][57]

bye
A tournament round in which a player
does not have a game, usually because
there are an odd number of players. A
bye is normally scored as a win (1
point), although in some tournaments
a player is permitted to choose to take
 a bye (usually in the first or last round)
and score it as a draw (½ point).[58]

C
Caïssa
Known as the goddess or muse of
chess, whose name is taken from a
nymph in a 1763 poem, Caïssa or The
Game at Chess, by Sir William
Jones.[59]

calculate
To plan a series of moves and
considering possible responses,
without actually moving the pieces.[19]

candidate move
A move that seems good upon initial
observation of the position, and that
warrants further analysis.[60]

Candidates Match
A knockout match in the Candidates
Tournament.[61]

Candidates Tournament
A tournament organised by the FIDE,
the third and last qualifying cycle of
the World Chess Championship. The
participants are the top players of the
Interzonal tournament plus possibly
other players selected on the basis of
rating or performance in the previous
candidates tournament. The top
ranking player(s) qualify(ies) for the
world championship.[62]

can-opener
The plan of attacking a kingside,
sometimes a fianchetto position, by
advancing the h-pawn with the
intention of opening a file near the
defender’s king.[63]

capped piece
A particular piece with which one
player attempts to deliver checkmate.
Agreeing to play with a capped piece
provides the stronger player an extra
challenge, thereby conferring upon
himself a handicap. When the capped
piece is a pawn, it is called a pion
coiffé [from French, "capped pawn"].[64]

capture
A move by a pawn or piece that
removes from the board the
opponent’s pawn or piece. The
capturing piece then occupies the
square of the captured piece (except in
the case of a capture that is done en
passant).[65]

castling
A move in which the king and a rook
are moved at the same time. It moves
the king from the center to a flank
where it usually is safer, and it
develops the rook. It is the only time
two pieces are moved in a turn.
Castling can be done on either the
kingside (notated 0-0) or the queenside
(0-0-0).[66]
castling into it
A situation where one side castles and
a result is that the king is in more
danger at the destination than on the
initial square, either immediately or
because lines and diagonals can be
more readily opened against it.[67]

castling long
Castling queenside; in chess notation:
0-0-0.[66]

castling short
Castling kingside; in chess notation: 0-
0.[66]

casual game
See friendly game.

category of a tournament
The category of a tournament is a
measure of its strength based on the
average FIDE rating of the participants.
The category is calculated by rounding
up the number: (average
rating − 2250) ÷ 25. So each category
covers a 25-point rating range, starting
with Category 1 which spans ratings
between 2251 and 2275. A Category
18 tournament has an average rating
between 2676 and 2700.[68]

CC
An abbreviation sometimes used for
correspondence chess.

central file
See center file.
centralization
Moving a piece or pieces toward the
center of the board, where they will not
only control the center, but their
influence will extend to other areas.
Pieces are best placed near the center
of the board, because they increase
their power and maneuverability.
Knights in particular benefit from being
centralized.[69]

central pawn
See center pawn.

abcde f gh
8                 8
               
7     7
   
6 6
               
5               5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

The center
squares are
marked "×".

center
Or centre. The four squares in the
middle of the board.[70] A king "in the
center" can refer to an uncastled king
on a center file.

center file
Or centre file. The king's file (e-file) or
queen's file (d-file).

center pawn
Or centre pawn. A pawn on the king's
file (e-file) or queen's file (d-file).[71]

cheapo
Slang for a primitive trap, often set in
the hope of swindling a win or a draw
from a lost position.[72] Also called a
cheap shot.

check
A direct attack on the king by an
enemy man. The attacked king is said
to be in check. There are only three
possible immediate responses to a
check: capturing the attacking piece,
moving the king to an unattacked
square, or interposing a piece between
the attacker and the king. In casual
games a player usually announces
"check", however this is not a
requirement in tournament games.[73]

checkmate
A position in which a player's king is in
check and the player has no legal
move (i.e. cannot move out of or
escape the check). A player whose
king is checkmated loses the game.
Often shortened to mate.[74]

chess blindness
The failure of a player to see a good
move or danger that should normally
be considered obvious. The term was
coined by Siegbert Tarrasch. Similar to
Kotov syndrome.[75]

chessboard
The chequered board used in chess,
consisting of 64 squares (eight rows
by eight columns) arranged in two
alternating colors, light and dark.[76]

A chess clock

chess clock
A device made up of two adjacent
clocks and buttons, keeping track of
the total time each player takes for
their moves. Immediately after moving,
the player hits their button, which
simultaneously stops their clock and
starts their opponent's. The picture
shown displays an analogue clock
where the term flag fall originates.
Modern clocks are digital.[77]

chessman
The movable figures placed on the
board in a game of chess. Includes
both pieces and pawns.[78]

chess notation
See notation.

chess opening
See opening.
chess problem
Also called composition.

chess set
The thirty-two pieces required for a
game, plus a chessboard.

chess variant
A chess-like game played using a
different board, pieces, or rules than
standard chess.[79]

Chess960
Chess960, also known as Fischer
Random Chess (originally
Fischerandom), is a variation of the
game invented and advocated by
Bobby Fischer. The pieces and pawns
all have their normal moves, but the
setup of pieces on the first rank is
random, except that a few rules must
be followed: the king must be placed
on a square between the rooks, the
bishops are placed on squares of
opposite color, and Black's pieces are
placed opposite White's. The random
setup can be established by dice toss,
computer program, playing cards, or
other methods. Castling may be done;
the special Chess960 rules governing
castling incorporate the normal
castling in classic chess.[80][81]

chop wood
Slang for capturing or exchanging
pieces.[82] See also wood.
classical
1.  An opening system geared towards
forming a full pawn center. Classical
ideas were challenged by hypermodern
ideas.[70]
2.  A game using a longer time control
such as 40/2; the opposite of fast
chess categories such as rapid, blitz or
bullet.[83]

classical bishop sacrifice

See Greek gift sacrifice.

clearance
Removal of piece from a square, rank,
file or diagonal so that another piece
may use it. It often involves sacrificing
the piece that unblocked the
position.[84]

clock move
In a game played clock move, a move
is considered completed only after the
clock is pressed. For example, one
could touch a piece, then move a
different piece—as long as the player
has not pressed their clock button.
This way of playing is uncommon but
can be seen in casual games or blitz
games.[85]

clock time
Time (consumed or remaining) on the
chess clock, in a tournament game.[86]

closed file
A file on which White and Black each
have a pawn.[87]

closed game
A closed game has few open lines
(files or diagonals). It is generally
characterized by interlocking pawn
chains, cramped positions with few
opportunities to exchange, and
extensive maneuvering behind lines.
Such a game may evolve and later
become an open game.[88] See also
positional play.

Closed Game
A Closed Game is a particular opening
that begins with the moves 1.d4 d5. It
is also known as a Double Queen's
Pawn Opening or Double Queen's Pawn
Game.[89] See also Open Game and
Semi-Open Game.

closed tournament
A tournament in which only invited or
qualifying players may participate, as
opposed to an open tournament. Also
called an invitational tournament.

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
             
5             5
 
4       4
 
3                    3
 
2 2
1 1
 abcde f gh

The Blackburne
Shilling Gambit
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3
Nc6 3.Bc4
Nd4?!), an

example of
coffeehouse play

coffeehouse
Adjective used to describe a move,
player, or style of play characterized by
risky, positionally dubious play that
sets traps for the opponent. The name
comes from the notion that one would
expect to see such play in skittles
games played in a coffeehouse or
similar setting, particularly in games
played for stakes or blitz chess. The
Blackburne Shilling Gambit is a typical
example of coffeehouse play.[90]

color
Or colour. The white or black pieces,
and the white or black squares. The
actual pieces and squares may be
other colors, usually light and dark, but
they are referred to as white and
black.[78] See White and Black in chess.

combination
A sequence of moves, including forced
moves, and often involving a sacrifice,
to gain an advantage.[70]

compensation
That which is gained in return for a
sacrifice or some other action. If
material is sacrificed there may be a
gain in development, or if a minor
piece is exchanged for two or three
pawns, the pawns would be the
compensation.[91]

computer move
A term for a move that seems likely to
have been played by a computer rather
than a human, because the move
seems counterintuitive, or seems not
to make immediate sense, or seems to
eventually make sense, but not until far
into the future of the game. Computer
moves seem to be what they are:
moves based on the brute force of
millions of calculations, and not based
on intuition, aesthetics, or emotion. A
computer move would overlook a
dramatic capture that might cause an
opponent to resign on the spot in favor
of an obscure move that may
eventually turn out to be only slightly
better. At one time the term was used
disparagingly, but the definition has
evolved as computers have improved.
It is a term that is occasionally used to
suggest that a player has been
assisted by a computer.[92][93]

connected passed pawns

Passed pawns on adjacent files. These
are considered to be unusually
powerful (often worth a minor piece or
rook if on the sixth rank or above and
not properly blockaded) because they
can advance together.[70] See also
connected pawns.

connected pawns
Refers to two or more pawns of the
same color on adjacent files.[69] Cf.
isolated pawns.

connected rooks
Two rooks of the same color on the
same rank or file with no pawns or
pieces between them. Connected
rooks are usually desirable. Players
often connect rooks on their own first
rank or along an open file.[94] See also
doubled rooks.
consolidation
The improvement of a player's position
by the reposition of one or more pieces
to better square(s), typically after a
player's attack or combination has left
their pieces in poor positions or
uncoordinated.[95]

continuation
See variation.

control
When a player’s pawn, piece or pieces
guard a square, or squares, or a file, or
a rank in such a way that the territory
can be advantageously used; and the
opponent is prevented from using the
territory.[96]
control of the center
Having one or more pieces that attack
any of the four center squares; an
important strategy, and one of the
main aims of openings.[97]

cook
In chess problems, an unintended
duplicate solution, or a refutation.[98]
See also Glossary of chess
problems#cook.

corr.
An abbreviation for correspondence
game.

correspondence chess
Chess played at a long time control by
long-distance correspondence.
Traditionally correspondence chess
was played though the post; today it is
usually played over a correspondence
chess server or by email. Typically, one
move is transmitted in every
correspondence.[99]

corresponding squares
Corresponding squares are pairs of
squares such that when a king moves
to one square, it forces the opponent's
king to occupy the other square in
order to hold the position. If the
opponent's king cannot move to the
required square it is zugzwang and a
disadvantage. Corresponding squares
usually occur in pawn endgames. The
theory of corresponding squares has
developed to include complex
calculations based on math-like
formulas.[100] Also called related
squares. Cf. opposition.

counterattack
An attack that responds to an attack
by the opponent.[101]

countergambit
A gambit offered by Black, for example
the Greco Counter Gambit, usually
called the Latvian Gambit today (1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 f5?!); the Albin Countergambit
(1.d4 d5 2.c4 e5); and the Falkbeer
Countergambit (1.e4 e5 2.f4 d5). An
opening need not have
"countergambit" in its name to be one,
for instance the Benko Gambit (1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5); the Englund
Gambit (1.d4 e5?!); the Budapest
Gambit (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5); the
Blackburne Shilling Gambit (1.e4 e5
2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4?!); and many
lines of the Two Knights Defense (e.g.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5
and now 4...Bc5!? [the Wilkes–Barre
Variation or Traxler Counterattack];
4...Nxe4?!; 4...d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6
[the main line]; 4...d5 5.exd5 Nd4 [the
Fritz Variation]; and 4...d5 5.exd5 b5
[the Ulvestad Variation]) are all
examples of countergambits.[102]

counterplay
The defending side's own aggressive
action.[103]

country move
A disparaging term for a move
considered unsophisticated, especially
an unnecessary single-step advance of
the rook's pawn in the opening. The
term was popular in London in the late
19th century.[104]

cover
To protect a piece or control a square.

cramped
Having limited mobility in a
position.[105]

critical position
The moment in a game or opening
when the evaluation shows that things
are about to change, either towards an
advantage for one player, or towards
equality; a wrong move can be
disastrous.[103]

critical square
See key square.

cross-check
A cross-check is a check played in
reply to a check, especially when the
original check is blocked by a piece
that itself either delivers check or
reveals a discovered check from
another piece.[106]

crosstable
An arrangement of the results of every
game in a tournament in tabular form.
The names of the players run down the
left side of the table in numbered rows.
The names may be listed in order of
results, alphabetically, or in pairing
order, but results order is most
common. The columns are also
numbered, each one corresponding to
the player in the same numbered row.
Each table cell records the outcome of
the game between the players on the
intersecting row and column, using 1
for a win, 0 for a loss, and ½ for a draw.
(In a double round-robin tournament
each cell contains two entries, as each
pair of players plays two games
 alternating White and Black.) Every
game is recorded twice, once from the
perspective of each player. The
diagonal cells that correspond to the
player playing himself are marked with
a * or × or other symbol since they are
not used.[107] For examples see
Hastings 1895 chess tournament,
Nottingham 1936 chess tournament,
and AVRO tournament.

crush
Slang for a quick win, especially an
overwhelming attack versus poor
defensive play. A crushing move is a
decisive one.

D
dark-square bishop
One of the two bishops that moves
only on the dark squares. In the initial
position, White's dark-square bishop is
on c1; Black's is on f8.[39] Cf. light-
square bishop.

dark squares
The 32 dark-colored squares on the
chessboard, such as a1 and h8. A dark
square is always located at a player's
left hand corner.[39] Cf. light squares.

abcde f gh
8   8
 
7   7
6   6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

A dead draw by
means of
insufficient
material. King
versus king and
bishop will not
ever lead to
checkmate.

dead draw
A drawn position in which neither
player has any realistic chance to win.
A dead draw may refer to a position in
which it is impossible for either player
to win (such as insufficient material),
or it may refer to a simple, lifeless
position that would require a major
blunder before either side would have
a chance to win.[108]

decoy
This is a tactic used to lure a piece to a
particular square.[109]

defense
1.  A move or plan to meet the
opponent's attack.[103]
2.  Part of the name of openings
played by Black; e.g. the Scandinavian
Defense, King's Indian Defence, English
Defence, etc.[103]

deflect
The inverse of a decoy. Whereas a
decoy involves luring an enemy piece
to a bad square, a deflection involves
luring an enemy piece away from a
good square; typically, away from a
square on which it defends another
piece or threat. Deflection is thus
closely related to overloading.[110]

Wouter Mees at a demonstration board

demonstration board
A large standing chess board used to
analyze a game or show a game in
progress. Johann Löwenthal invented
the demonstration board in 1857.[111]

descriptive notation
A system of recording chess moves,
used primarily in the English and
Spanish speaking countries until the
1980s. Descriptive notation is based
on natural language descriptions of
chess moves rendered in abbreviated
form, for example "pawn to queen's
bishop's fourth" is rendered as "P-QB4".
Now replaced by the standard
algebraic notation.[112]

desperado
A piece that seems determined to give
itself up, typically to bring about
stalemate or perpetual check. Also a
threatened piece that sacrifices itself
for the maximum compensation
possible.[113]

development
The movement of non-pawn pieces in
the opening from their original squares
to squares where they can be more
active. Development of one's pieces is
one of the objectives of the opening
phase of the game.[114]

diagonal
A line of squares of the same color
touching corner to corner, along which
a queen or bishop can move.[115]

discovered attack
An attack made by a queen, rook or
bishop when another piece or pawn
moves out of its way.[114]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
  
5 5
 
4   4
3     3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Once the e4-

bishop moves, it
is discovered
check by the
rook.
discovered check
A discovered attack to the king. This
occurs when a player moves a piece,
resulting in another piece putting their
opponent's king in check.[116]

domination
A situation that occurs in games and in
endgame studies when a piece is
attacked and appears to have a
number of destination squares, but the
squares are guarded and the piece
cannot avoid being captured.[117]

double attack
Two attacks made with one move:
these attacks may be made by the
same piece (in which case it is a fork);
or by different pieces, for example in a
discovered attack when the moved
piece also makes a threat.[114]

double check
A check delivered by two pieces at the
same time. A double check necessarily
involves a discovered check. By its
nature a double check cannot be met
by interposing a defending piece in the
line of attack, or by capturing an
attacker; when subjected to a double
check, the attacked king must move,
which makes the double check
especially powerful as an attacking
tactic.[118]

doubled pawns
Two pawns of the same color on the
same file; generally considered a
weakness due to their inability to
defend each other.[115]

doubled rooks
A powerful configuration in which a
player's two rooks are placed on the
same file or rank with no other men
between them. They defend each other
and attack along the shared file or
rank, as well as two additional ranks or
files. The configuration can be
especially decisive in the endgame.[119]

draw
A game that ends without victory for
either player. Most drawn games are
draws by agreement. The other ways
that a game can end in a draw are
stalemate, threefold repetition, the
fifty-move rule, and insufficient
material. A position is said to be a
draw (or a "drawn position" or
"theoretical draw") if either player can,
through correct play, eventually force
the game into a position where the
game must end in a draw, regardless
of the moves made by the other player.
A draw is usually scored as ½ point,
although in some matches only wins
are counted and draws are ignored.[109]

draw by agreement
A game that is ended by both players
accepting a draw.[120] See also resign.
draw death
Hypothetical scenario whereby elite-
level chess players, aided by modern
computer analysis, become so good
that they never make mistakes, leading
to endless drawn games (since chess
is widely believed to be drawn with
best play from both sides).[121]

drawing line
An opening variation that commonly
ends in a draw.[122] See also Collection
of drawing lines Chessgames.com.

drawing weapon
An opening line played with the intent
of drawing the game.[123]

drawish
An adjective describing a position or
game that is likely to end in a draw.[124]

draw odds
A type of chess handicap where one
player (Black in an Armageddon game)
only has to draw in order to win the
match.[125]

draw offer
A proposal by a player to the opponent
that the game be drawn by
agreement.[126]

dynamism
A style of play in which the activity of
the pieces is favored over more
positional considerations, even to the
point of accepting permanent
 structural or spatial weaknesses.
Dynamism stemmed from the
teachings of the Hypermodern school
and challenged the dogma found in
more classical teachings, such as
those put forward by Wilhelm Steinitz
and Siegbert Tarrasch.[127]

E
eat
To remove the opponent's piece or
pawn from the board by taking it with
one's own piece or pawn.[128][129] See
also capture.

ECF
The English Chess Federation (ECF) is
the governing chess organisation in
England and is one of the federations
of the FIDE. It was known as the British
Chess Federation (BCF) until 2005
when it was renamed.

ECO
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
(ECO), a standard and comprehensive
chess opening reference. Also a
classification system (ECO code) for
openings that assigns an
alphanumeric code from A00 to E99 to
each opening.

edge
An edge is a small but meaningful
advantage in the position against one's
opponent. It is often said White has an
edge in the starting position, since
White moves first (see First-move
advantage in chess).[130]

Elo rating system

The Elo rating system is a method for
calculating the relative skill levels of
chess players, named after Arpad Elo.
Since 2012, FIDE publishes a monthly
international chess rating list using the
Elo system.[131]

endgame
The third and last phase of the game,
when there are few pieces left on the
board. The endgame follows the
middlegame.[132]

endgame tablebase
A computerized database of
endgames with a small number of
pieces, providing perfect play for both
players, and thus completely solving
those endgames. By 2012, tablebases
have been calculated for all positions
with up to seven pieces.[133]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh
 After 1.d4 c5
2.d5 e5, White
can play 3.dxe6,
capturing the e-
pawn en passant
on the next move
only. The white
pawn is placed
on e6, and the
black pawn on e5
is removed from
the board.

en passant
[from French, "in the act of passing"]
The rule that allows a pawn that has
just advanced two squares to be
captured by an enemy pawn that is on
the same rank and adjacent file. The
pawn can be taken as if it had
advanced only one square. Capturing
en passant is possible only on the next
move.[134]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

The pawn on e4
is en prise.

en prise
[from French, "in a position to be
taken",[135][136] often italicized] En prise
describes a piece or pawn exposed to
a material-winning capture by the
opponent. This is either a hanging
piece, an undefended pawn, a piece
attacked by a less valuable attacker, or
a piece or pawn defended
insufficiently. For instance, 1.e4 Nf6
2.Nf3? leaves White's e-pawn en
prise.[137]

epaulette mate
A checkmate position where the king is
blocked on both sides by its own
rooks.[138]

EPD
An abbreviation for Extended Position
Description.

equalize
Or equalise. To reach a position where
the players have equal chances of
winning, referred to as equality. In the
opening, because White has the
advantage of the first move, the
immediate goal for Black is to achieve
equality.[139]

escape square
See flight square.

evaluation
Evaluation is a common term for
analyzing a position. A computer
evaluation, or an engine evaluation is a
means of assigning a simple number
value to a position, based not on
intelligence, but on algorithms, which
will vary from engine to engine, and
which depend on engine strength.
Engine evaluations will have foibles
and imperfections even when
functioning as designed. If an engine
describes a position as +2.50, the plus
sign (+) indicates the position is
favorable for White. A minus sign (-)
indicates the position is favorable for
Black. The number can be
approximately related to the value of
chess pieces, though the engine also
uses factors other than material. The
notation +2.50 indicates that white is
ahead by the approximate value of two
and a half pawns. The notation +M4
indicates that White can force
checkmate in four moves.[140][141][142]
Cf. analysis .

exchange
1.  To swap or trade pieces by capture.
Usually the pieces are of equal value
(i.e., rook for rook, knight for knight,
etc.), or of bishop for knight (two
pieces that are considered almost
equal in value).[143] Also called an even
exchange.
2.  The advantage of a rook over a
minor piece (knight or bishop). The
player who captures a rook for a minor
piece is said to have "won the
exchange", the player who has lost the
rook has "lost the exchange". An
exchange sacrifice is giving up a rook
for a minor piece.[137]

exchange variation
This is a type of opening in which there
is an early, voluntary exchange of
pawns or pieces.[144]

exhibition
Chess games played for the public in
various formats and for various
purposes, often to promote the game,
or a particular match or player, or as a
fundraiser. An exhibition may pit two
masters against each other, and
normally use chess clocks. In a
simultaneous exhibition, one player
takes on a number opponents at once,
and it is often not timed. A blindfold
exhibition is the same but more
challenging, since the exhibitor plays
without seeing the boards.[145]

expanded center
The central sixteen squares of the
chessboard.[146]

exposed king
A king lacking pawns to shield it from
enemy attack.[147]

Extended Position Description

A Forsyth–Edwards Notation derivative
format that contains the position on
the chessboard, but not the game. It is
 primarily used to test chess
engines.[148] Abbr. EPD.

F
family fork
A knight fork that simultaneously
attacks the enemy king (giving check),
queen, and possibly other pieces. Also
known as a "family check".[149]

FAN
An abbreviation for figurine algebraic
notation, which substitutes symbols
for letters to represent piece names
(e.g. ♘f3 instead of Nf3).[150]

fast chess
A form of chess in which both sides
are given less time to make their
moves than under the normal
tournament time controls. See also:
rapid chess, blitz chess, bullet chess.

FEN
An abbreviation for Forsyth–Edwards
Notation.

FGM
An abbreviation for the FICGS
Grandmaster title.

fianchetto
To develop a bishop to the board's
longest diagonal on the file of the
adjacent knight (b2 or g2 for White; b7
or g7 for Black). The Italian word ("little
flank") is pronounced "fyan-ketto".[151]

FICGS Grandmaster
A correspondence chess title
calculated by the FICGS (Free Internet
Correspondence Games Server)
organization.[152]

FIDE
The World Chess Federation
(Fédération Internationale des Échecs),
the primary international chess
organizing and governing body. The
abbreviated name FIDE is nearly
always used in place of the full name
in French.[153]

FIDE Master
A chess title ranking below
International Master.[154] Abbr. FM.

fifty-move rule
A draw may be claimed if no capture or
pawn move has occurred in the last
fifty moves by either side.[155]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

The f-file

file
A column of the chessboard. A specific
file can be named either using its
position in algebraic notation, a–h, or
by using its position in descriptive
notation. For example, "f-file" and "king
bishop file" both denote the squares
f1–f8 (or KB1–KB8 in descriptive
notation).[156]

fingerfehler
[from German, "finger mistake"] An
error caused by unthinkingly touching
the wrong piece or releasing a piece on
the wrong square, forcing the player to
move that piece in accordance with the
touch-move rule.[157]

first board
In team chess, the player who is
assigned to face the strongest
opponents. Also called top board.
Second board faces the next strongest
players, followed by third board, and so
on. Generally board assignments must
be made before the competition
begins and players may not switch
boards, although reserve players are
often allowed as substitutes.

first-move advantage
The slight (by most accounts)
advantage that White has by virtue of
moving first.[153]

first player
The expression "the first player" is
sometimes used to refer to White.

Fischer delay
A time control method with time delay,
invented by Bobby Fischer. When it
becomes a player's turn to move, the
delay is added to the player's
remaining time.[158]

Fischer Random Chess

See Chess960

five-minute chess
See blitz chess.

flag
Part of an analogue chess clock,
usually red, that indicates when the
minute hand passes the hour. To "flag"
someone means winning the game on
the basis of the opponent exceeding
the time control.[153]

flank
The queenside a-, b-, and c-files; or the
kingside f-, g-, and h-files.
Distinguished from the center d-file
and e-file.[159] Also called wing.

flank opening
An opening played by White and
typified by play on one or both
flanks.[160]

flight square
A square to which a piece can move,
that allows it to escape attack.[149]
Also called escape square. See also
luft.

FM
An abbreviation for the FIDE Master
title.

Fool's mate

Fool's mate
The shortest possible chess game
ending in mate: 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh4# (or
minor variations on this).[161]
forced mate
A sequence of two or more moves
culminating in checkmate that the
opponent cannot prevent.[162]

forced move
A move that is the only one that does
not result in a serious disadvantage for
the moving player. Forced can also be
used to describe a sequence of moves
for which the player has no viable
alternative, for example "the forced win
of a piece" or "a forced checkmate". In
these cases the player cannot avoid
the loss of a piece or checkmate,
respectively.[161]

forcing move
A move that presents a threat and
limits the opponent's responses.[163]

forfeit
Refers to losing the game by breaking
rules, by absence or by exceeding the
time control (forfeit on time).[164]

fork
A simultaneous attack by a single
piece on two (or more) of the
opponent's pieces (or other direct
target, such as a mate threat). When
the attacker is a knight the tactic is
often specifically called a knight fork.
Some sources state that only a knight
can give a fork and that the term
double attack is correct when another
piece is involved, but this is by no
means universal usage.[5]

Forsyth–Edwards Notation
A standard notation for describing a
particular board position of a chess
game. The purpose of FEN notation is
to provide all the necessary
information to restart a game from a
particular position.[165][166] Abbr. FEN.

fortress
In endgame theory, a fortress is an
impenetrable position which, if
obtained by the side with a material
disadvantage, may result in a draw due
to the stronger side's inability to make
progress.[167]
 friendly game
A game that is not played as part of a
match, tournament, or exhibition. Often
the game is not timed, but if a chess
clock is used rapid time controls are
common. The term refers only to the
circumstances in which the game is
played, not the relationship between
the players or the intensity of the
competition.[168] Also called casual
game.

G
gambit
A sacrifice (usually of a pawn) used to
gain an early advantage in space or
time in the opening.[5]
game clock
A synonym for chess clock.

game score
The record of a game in some form of
notation, usually algebraic notation.
Also called simply score. In over-the-
board tournaments, the game score is
recorded on a score sheet.[169]

gardez
[from French: gardez la reine!, "Protect
the Queen!"] An announcement to the
opponent that their queen is under
direct attack, similar to the
announcement of "check". This
warning was customary until the early
20th century.[170]
GM
An abbreviation for Grandmaster.[171]

God
Metaphorically, a hypothetical player
who always plays perfectly.[172]

good bishop
A bishop that has greater mobility,
because the player's own pawns are on
squares of color opposite to that of the
bishop.[173] See also bad bishop.

Grandmaster
The highest title a chess player can
attain (besides World Champion).
Awarded by FIDE, it cannot be taken
away.[174] Abbr. GM.

grandmaster draw
A game in which the players agree to a
quick draw. Originally it referred to
such games between grandmasters,
but the term can now refer to any such
game.[174]

Greek gift sacrifice

A typical sacrifice of a bishop by White
playing Bxh7+ or by Black playing
...Bxh2+ against a castled king to
initiate a mating attack. Also known as
the classical bishop sacrifice.[175]

H
half-open file
A file on which only one player has no
pawns.[176]

handicap
See odds.

hanging
Unprotected and exposed to capture. A
hanging piece may also be said to be
en prise.[174]

hanging pawns
Two friendly pawns on adjacent files,
with no further friendly pawns on the
files either side of them. The term is
used almost exclusively for pawns on
the c- and d-files, and usually for two
pawns on the same rank (side by side).
They can be a strength, a weakness or
neutral depending on the position.
They are typically an attacking rather
than a defensive asset.[174]
Harry
A nickname for the h-pawn, sometimes
occurring in the expression, "Harry the
h pawn".[177][178]

hauptturnier
German word that is freely translated
as "candidates tournament". In the
early part of the 20th century, it was
necessary for the ambitious European
amateur to win a succession of prizes
in small tournaments, before they
could progress to a higher level of
competition. The creation of the
hauptturnier enabled the process to
become more formalized, and they
became a regular feature of the major
German chess congresses. Winning
such an event conferred the title of
'Master of the German Chess
Federation', and this, in turn, could be
used to gain admittance to prestigious
international tournaments. Some of
the best players in chess history, such
as Emanuel Lasker and Siegbert
Tarrasch, secured their Master titles
and advanced their chess careers in
this way.[179]

heavy piece
See major piece.

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

The dots indicate

holes. (Evans,
1967)

hole
A square that is inside or near a
player’s territory that cannot be
controlled by a pawn. It is a gap in a
player’s pawn configuration, and
especially dangerous when the hole is
close to the center or near the king. A
knight landing on a hole may be part of
an attack. An example of a hole is e4 in
the Stonewall Attack.[180]

home rank
Rank one for White; rank eight for
Black. See back rank.[181]

horizontal line
See rank.

Horwitz vs.
Harrwitz,
London 1846,
rd. 10, 0–
1[182]
abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

After 30.Qe2.
Black's Horwitz
bishops are
aimed at White's
kingside.[183]

Horwitz bishops
A player's light-square and dark-square
bishops placed so that they occupy
adjacent diagonals, creating a potent
attack. Also called raking bishops, and
sometimes Harrwitz bishops.[184][185]

human move
a move a human would make, as
opposed to the kind of move that only
a computer would make.[186]

Hutton pairing
A pairing technique invented in 1921
by George Dickson Hutton for
matching teams of players in which
only one game is required per player.
Has been used regularly for
correspondence team events and for
matches between many teams
conducted on one day.[187] Also called
jamboree pairing.

hypermodernism
A school of thought that prefers
controlling the center with pieces from
 the flanks as opposed to occupying it
directly with pawns. Two major
proponents of hypermodernism were
Réti and Nimzowitsch.[188] See also
classical.

I
ICCA
See International Correspondence
Chess Federation.

ICCF
An abbreviation for the International
Correspondence Chess Federation.[189]

ICS
An abbreviation for Internet chess
server.
IGM
An abbreviation for the older term
International Grandmaster. The modern
usage is Grandmaster (GM).

illegal move
A move that is not permitted by the
rules of chess. An illegal move
discovered during the course of a
game must be corrected.[190]

illegal position
A position in a game that is a
consequence of an illegal move or an
incorrect starting position; a position
that is impossible to reach by any
sequence of legal moves.[190]

IM
An abbreviation for the International
Master title.[191]

imbalance
Any difference between the positions
of White and Black. An imbalanced
position is one where White and Black
both have unique advantages.
Conversely, a balanced position may
be drawish.[188]

inaccuracy
A move that is not the best, but not as
bad as a blunder.[191]

inactive
See passive.

increment
Refers to the amount of time added to
each player's time before each move.
For instance, rapid chess might be
played with "25 minutes plus 10
second per move increment", meaning
that each player starts with 25 minutes
on their clock, and this increments by
10 seconds after (or before) each
move, usually using the Fischer Delay
method.[42] See Time
control#Compensation (delay
methods).

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

In the KID
Fianchetto
Variation (1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3
Bg7 4.g3 0-0
5.Bg2 d6 6.0-0),
both sides have
Indian bishops.

Indian bishop
A fianchettoed bishop, characteristic
of the Indian defenses, the King's
Indian and the Queen's Indian.[192]
Indian defense
An opening that begins 1.d4 Nf6.
Originally used to describe queen's
pawn defenses involving the fianchetto
of one or both black bishops, it is now
used to describe all Black defenses
after 1.d4 Nf6 that do not transpose
into the Queen's Gambit.[193]

initiative
The ability to make attacking moves,
and force the course of play. It is an
aspect of time. The attacking player
has the initiative, and the defending
player attempts to seize it.[194]

innovation
A synonym for theoretical novelty.
insufficient material
An endgame scenario in which all
pawns have been captured, and one
side has only its king remaining while
the other has only its king, a king plus
a knight, or a king plus a bishop. A king
plus bishop versus a king plus bishop
with the bishops on the same color is
also a draw, since neither side can
checkmate, regardless of play.
Situations where checkmate is
possible only if the inferior side
blunders are covered by the fifty-move
rule.[195] See Draw (chess)#Draws in all
games.

interference
The interruption of the line or diagonal
between an attacked piece and its
defender by interposing a piece.[194]

intermediate move
See zwischenzug.

intermezzo
See zwischenzug.

International Arbiter
A tournament official who arbitrates
disputes and performs other duties
such as keeping the score when
players are under time pressure.

International Correspondence Chess

Federation
The International Correspondence
Chess Federation (abbr. ICCF) was
founded in 1951 to replace the
International Correspondence Chess
Association (ICCA).[189]

International Grandmaster
Abbr. IGM. The original name of the
FIDE title now simply called
Grandmaster (GM).

International Master
A chess title that ranks below
Grandmaster but above FIDE Master.
Abbr. IM.

Internet chess server

An external server that provides the
facility to play, discuss, and view chess
over the Internet. Abbr. ICS.

interpose
To move a piece between an attacking
piece and its target, blocking the line or
diagonal of attack. Interposing is not
possible if the attacker is a knight,
king, or pawn, thus only possible in
case of attacking rooks, bishops, or
queens. Interposing a piece is one of
the three possible responses to a
check.[5]

Interzonal tournament
A tournament organised by the FIDE
starting from the 1950s to 1993. It was
the second qualifying cycle of the
World Chess Championship. The
participants were selected from the
top players of the Zonal tournaments.
The top ranking players qualified for
the Candidates Tournament. Since
1998 the winners of the zonal
tournaments have played short
matches against each other over a few
weeks in a knockout-style competition
to determine who is eligible for the
Candidates Tournament.

intuition
A way of thinking that looks for the
winning strategy not by calculating, but
by a feeling or a hunch, that may be
prompted subconsciously while
studying the position, its visual
patterns and dynamics, or by one’s
memory of previous experience.[196]

IQP
An abbreviation for isolated queen
pawn. See also isolani.

irregular opening
In early 19th-century chess literature,
all openings that did not begin with
either 1.e4 e5 or 1.d4 d5 were
classified as "irregular". As opening
theory developed and many openings
previously considered "irregular"
became standard (e.g. the Sicilian
Defence), the term gradually became
less common. Opening books today
are more likely to describe debuts such
as 1.b4 (the Sokolsky Opening) as
"uncommon" or "unorthodox".[197]

isolani
Refers to a d-pawn with no pawns of
the same color on the adjacent c-file
and e-file, and is a synonym for
isolated queen pawn (abbr. IQP). The
term was coined by Nimzowitsch, who
considered the isolani as a weapon of
attack in the middlegame but an
endgame weakness; he considered the
problem of hanging pawns to be
related.[198] See also Pawn
structure#Queen's Gambit – Isolani.

isolated pawn
A pawn with no pawn of the same
color on an adjacent file.[199]

abcde f gh
8           8
7                 7
   
6                6
           
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Italian bishops in
the Giuoco Piano

Italian bishop
A white bishop developed to c4 or a
black bishop developed to c5. A bishop
so developed is characteristic of the
Italian Game. In the Giuoco Piano both
players have Italian bishops. The
Italian bishop stands in contrast to the
 "Spanish" bishop on b5 characteristic
of the Ruy Lopez. "Italian" may be used
as an adjective for an opening where
one or both players have Italian
bishops.[200]

J
j'adoube
(from French, "I adjust",
pronounced [ʒa.dub]) See Touch-move
rule. A player says "j'adoube" as the
international signal that he or she
intends to adjust the position of a
piece on the board without being
subject to the touched piece rule. The
verb adouber, literally "to dub" (raise to
the knighthood) is rarely used in
 contemporary French outside of this
context. A local language equivalent,
e.g. "I am adjusting" is generally
acceptable.[5]

K
K
Symbol used for the king when
recording chess moves in English.[23]

key square
1.  An important square.
2.  In pawn endings, a square whose
occupation by one side's king
guarantees the achievement of a
certain goal, such as the promotion of
a pawn or the win of a pawn.[195]

KGA
The King's Gambit Accepted opening.

KGD
The King's Gambit Declined opening.

KIA
The King's Indian Attack opening.

kibitz
As a spectator, making comments on a
chess game that can be heard by the
players. Kibitzing on a serious game
while it is in progress (rather than
during a post-mortem) is a serious
breach of chess etiquette.[201]

kick
Attacking a piece, often a knight, with a
pawn, so that it will move. Kicking a
piece may lead to gaining a tempo, or
may force the opponent to concede
control of key squares.[201]

KID
The King's Indian Defence opening.

king
 

king bishop
The bishop that is on the kingside at
the start of the game. The terms king
knight and king rook are also used.
Sometimes abbreviated "KB", "KN", and
"KR", respectively.[78] Also called king's
bishop.

king hunt
A sustained attack on the enemy king
that results in the king being driven a
far distance from its initial position,
typically resulting in its checkmate.
Some of the most famous games
featuring king hunts are Edward
Lasker–Thomas, Polugaevsky–
Nezhmetdinov, and Kasparov–
Topalov.[202]

king knight
The knight that is on the kingside at
the start of the game. The terms king
bishop and king rook are also used.
Sometimes abbreviated "KN", "KB", and
"KR", respectively.[78] Also called king's
knight.

king pawn
A pawn on the king's file, i.e. the e-file.
Sometimes abbreviated "KP". Also king
bishop pawn (KBP), king knight pawn
(KNP), and king rook pawn (KRP) for a
pawn on the f-, g-, or h-file,
respectively.[78] Also called king's
pawn.

king pawn opening

An opening that begins 1.e4. Also
called king's pawn opening.

king rook
The rook that is on the kingside at the
start of the game. The terms king
bishop and king knight are also used.
Sometimes abbreviated "KR", "KB", and
"KN", respectively.[78] Also called king's
rook.

kingside
The side of the board (half-board) the
kings are on at the start of the game
(the e- through h-file), as opposed to
the queenside.[36] Also called king's
side or king's wing.

king walk
A consecutive series of king moves
designed to bring the king to a safer
square. For example, if a player has
castled kingside but the opponent has
sacrificed a piece to destroy the
kingside pawn cover, they may choose
to walk the king over to the queenside
to shelter behind the queenside
pawns.[203] See also King walk.

knight
 

knight pawn
A pawn on the knight's file, i.e. the b-file
or g-file. Sometimes abbreviated
"NP".[78] Also called knight's pawn.

Example of a knight's tour

knight's tour
A puzzle that challenges a person to
set a knight on an empty chessboard,
and make the piece move around (as it
moves in a chess game), but to visit
every square only once. The knight’s
tour is the most well known of a variety
of “tours” and puzzles based on chess
pieces. A "closed" tour (also known as
a "re-entrant tour") ends on the same
square on which it began and needs 64
moves. An "open" tour ends on a
different square and needs only 63
moves.[204]

knockout tournament
See Single-elimination tournament. A
tournament conducted as a series of
matches in which the winner of each
match advances to the next round and
the loser is eliminated. Well-known
chess tournaments held in the
knockout format include London 1851
and the 2007 Chess World Cup. Cf.
round-robin tournament and Swiss
tournament.

Kotov syndrome
This phenomenon, described by
Alexander Kotov in his 1971 book
Think Like a Grandmaster, can occur
when a player does not find a good
plan after thinking long and hard on a
position. The player, under time
pressure, then suddenly decides to
make a move that he has hardly
thought about at all, and it may not be
a good move for that reason.[205]

Kriegspiel
[from German, "war game"] Kriegspiel
is a chess variant played by two
opponents who can only see their own
board, and one monitoring umpire who
makes the moves of both players on a
neutral board. It requires three chess
sets and boards. The players make
their moves based on limited
information from the umpire. It was
introduced in 1898. It is sometimes
referred to as blind chess, not be
confused with blindfold chess.[206]

Kt
 The symbol sometimes used for the
knight when recording chess moves in
descriptive notation, mainly in older
literature. An N is used instead in
algebraic notation and in later
descriptive notation to avoid confusion
with K, the symbol for the king.[23]

L
laws of chess
The rules of chess.[207]

lightning chess
A form of chess with an extremely
short time limit, either blitz chess or
bullet chess.[208]

light-square bishop
One of the two bishops that moves
only on the light squares. In the initial
position, White's light-square bishop is
on f1; Black's is on c8.[195] Cf. dark-
square bishop.

light squares
The 32 light-colored squares on the
chessboard, such as h1 and a8.[209] Cf.
dark squares.

line
1.  A sequence of moves, usually in the
opening or in analyzing a position.
2.  An open path for a piece (queen,
rook, or bishop) to move or control
squares.[208]

line piece
A piece whose movement is defined to
be along straight lines of squares (i.e.
the rook, bishop, and queen).[210]

liquidation
See simplification.

long diagonal
One of the two diagonals with eight
squares (a1–h8 or h1–a8).[211]

long-range piece
A bishop, rook, or queen.

loose piece
A piece vulnerable to opponent attacks
because it is undefended and cannot
easily be withdrawn or supported.[212]

loose position
A position vulnerable to opponent
attacks because it is overextended or
its pieces are uncoordinated.

losing a tempo
See tempo.

loss
A defeat for one of the two players,
which may occur due to that player
being checkmated by the other player,
resigning, exceeding the time control,
or being forfeited by the tournament
director. In chess, a zero-sum game,
this results in a win for the other
player.[213]

Lucena
position
 abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
    
5   5
4 4
3    3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

White wins by
1.Rd1+ Ke7
2.Rd4! Ra1 3.Kc7
Rc1+ 4.Kb6 Rb1+
5.Kc6 Rc1+ 6.Kb5
Rb1+ 7.Rb4 and
the pawn queens.

Lucena position
A well-known rook and pawn versus
rook endgame position in which the
player with the extra pawn can force a
win by cutting off the opponent's king
and placing a rook on the 4th rank in
order to block the opponent's rook
checks, thereby allowing the pawn to
queen.[54]

luft
[from German, "air"] Space made for a
castled king to give it a flight square to
prevent a back-rank mate. Usually luft
is made by moving a pawn on the
second rank in front of the king.[214]
See also flight square.

M
main line
The principal, most important, or most
often played variation of an
opening.[215]

majority
A larger numbers of pawns on one
flank opposed by a smaller number of
the opponent's; often a player with a
majority on one flank has a minority on
the other.[216]

major piece
A queen or rook, also known as a
heavy piece.[217]

man
A piece or a pawn, when the term piece
is used as exclusive of pawns.[218]
 abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
             
5             5
 
4       4
3                  3
   
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

A typical
Maróczy Bind
position

Maróczy Bind
A bind on the light squares in the
center, particularly d5, obtained by
White by placing pawns on c4 and e4.
Named for Géza Maróczy, it originally
referred to formations arising in some
variations of the Sicilian Defence, but
the name is now also applied to similar
setups in the English Opening and the
Queen's Indian Defense. It was once
greatly feared by Black but means of
countering it have been developed
since the 1980s and earlier.[219]

master
Loosely, a strong chess player who
would be expected to beat most
amateurs. It may also refer to a formal
title such as International Master or
National Master. Standards vary, but a
master will usually have an Elo rating
of over 2200.[220]
match
A competition between two individuals
or two teams. A match may be the
entire competition, or it may be a round
in a knockout tournament or team
tournament. A chess match always
consists of at least two games, and
often many more.[220]

mate
Short for checkmate.[221]

material
All of a player's pieces and pawns on
the board. The player with pieces and
pawns of greater value is said to have
a "material advantage". When a player
gains a material advantage they are
also said to be "winning material".[222]
See Chess piece relative value.

materialism
Playstyle characterised by a
willingness to win material at the
expense of positional considerations.
Chess computers are often
materialistic.[223]

mating attack
An attack aimed at checkmating the
enemy king.[224]

mating net
A position or series of moves that
leads to forced mate.[224]

MCO
Modern Chess Openings, a popular
chess opening reference. Often the
edition is also given, as in MCO-14, the
14th edition. Cf. ECO.

middlegame
The part of a chess game that follows
the opening and comes before the
endgame, beginning after the pieces
are developed in the opening. This is
usually roughly moves 20 through
40.[222]

miniature
A short game (usually no more than 20
to 25 moves), for example: 1.e3 e5
2.Qf3 d5 3.Nc3 e4 4.Qf4?? Bd6! and
White resigned in NN–Künzel (1900,
Europe)[225] because the queen is
trapped. However, a significant
minority of authors include games up
to 30 moves.[226] Usually only decisive
games (not draws) are considered
miniatures. Ideally, a miniature should
not be spoiled by an obvious blunder
by the losing side. A miniature may
also qualify as a brilliancy. The Opera
game is a famous example.
Sometimes called a brevity [chiefly
British].[51] See also Glossary of chess
problems#miniature.

minor exchange
The exchange of a bishop for a
knight.[227]
minority attack
An advance of pawns on the side of
the board where one has fewer pawns
than the opponent, usually carried out
to provoke a weakness.[222]

minor piece
A bishop or knight.[222]

mobile pawn center

Pawns on central squares able to
advance without becoming weak.[228]

mobility
The ability of a piece(s) to move
around the board. Having space.[222]

mouse slip
A fumble by a player in the use of a
computer control tool while playing
chess on the Internet, that results in an
unintended move.[229]

move
A full move is a turn by both players,
White and Black. A turn by either White
or Black is a half-move, or (in computer
context) one ply.[230]

move order
The sequence of moves one chooses
to play an opening or execute a plan.
Different move orders often have
different advantages and
disadvantages. A plan that uses
certain moves, can sometimes be
improved by making the identical
moves but in a different sequence.[231]
See also transposition.

mysterious rook move

Coined by Nimzowitsch to refer to the
placing of a rook on closed file in
anticipation that the opponent is going
to open the file. This move may either
achieve a position with a rook on an
open file, or it may alternatively hinder
the opponent's intentions
(prophylaxis). The meaning of the word
has since expanded to refer to any
rook move that appears to have a
hidden purpose.[232][233]

N
N
1.  Symbol used for the knight when
recording chess moves in English.
2.  An abbreviation for novelty.

NCO
An abbreviation sometimes used for
the chess opening reference Nunn's
Chess Openings. Cf. ECO and MCO.

NN
Traditionally used in game scores to
indicate a player whose name is not
known. The origin is uncertain. It may
be an abbreviation of the Latin nomina
("names"), or it may be short for the
Latin phrase nomen nescio ("name
unknown").[234]

norm
A standard of competitive
performance that is required in order
for a chess player to be awarded one
of several titles, such as Grandmaster,
International Master, or Woman
Grandmaster, etc. The chess
organization, such as FIDE, that
awards the titles, will established
specifically what a norm is. For
example a candidate might achieve a
norm if they play in a tournament and
face a certain number of
grandmasters, and then have a certain
number of wins in that tournament
against players that are above a
certain rating, and so on. If the
candidate then collects a certain
number of norms, three for example,
they will win a grandmaster title. The
details that define a norm can be
obtained from the chess organization,
and the details will change from time
to time.[235][236]

notation
Any method of recording chess moves,
allowing games to be later published,
replayed and analyzed. The most
common notation today is algebraic
notation, which is used internationally.
Formerly descriptive notation was
standard in English language
publications. There are also systems
of notation for recording chess
positions without the use of diagrams,
 the most common of which is
Forsyth–Edwards Notation (FEN).[237]

novelty
See theoretical novelty.

O
occupation
Occupation of a rank or file means a
rook or queen controls it; occupation
of a square means a piece or pawn sits
on it.[238][239]

octopus
A strongly positioned knight in enemy
territory. A knight on e6 reaches out in
eight directions, like the eight tentacles
of an octopus.[240]
odds
This refers to the stronger player giving
the weaker player some sort of
advantage in order to make the game
more competitive. It may be an
advantage in material, in extra moves,
in time on the clock, or some
combination of those elements. Since
the advent of the chess clock, time
odds have become more common
than material odds.[241]

offhand game
See skittles.

Olympiad
An international team chess
tournament organized biennially by
FIDE. Each team represents a FIDE
member country.

O-O
Also 0-0. The move notation for
kingside castling. (PGN format uses
Os; FIDE uses 0s.)[242]

O-O-O
Also 0-0-0. The move notation for
queenside castling. (PGN format uses
Os; FIDE uses 0s.)[242]

open file
A file on which there are no pawns. A
file on which only one player has no
pawns is said to be half-open.[5]

open game
A game in which exchanges have
opened files and diagonals, and there
are few pawns in the center, as
opposed to a closed game.[243]

Open Game
Any opening that begins with the
moves 1.e4 e5. Examples of Open
Games include the Ruy Lopez, the
Giuoco Piano, the Danish Gambit, and
many others. The Open Game is also
referred to as a Double King's Pawn
Opening or Double King's Pawn Game.

opening
The beginning phase of the game,
roughly the first dozen moves, but it
can extend much farther. In the
opening players set up their pawn
structures, develop their pieces, and
usually castle. The opening precedes
the middlegame.[243]

opening innovation
A synonym for theoretical novelty.

opening preparation
Home study and analysis of openings
and defenses that one expects to play,
or meet, in later tournament or match
games. In high-level play, an important
part of this is the search for theoretical
novelties that improve upon previous
play or previously published
analysis.[244]

opening repertoire
The set of openings played by a
particular player. The breadth of
different players' repertoires varies
from very narrow to very broad.[245]

opening system
An opening that is defined by one
player's moves and that can be played
generally regardless of the moves of
the opponent, with the goal of reaching
a desired type of middlegame position.
Sometimes several different move
orders are possible. Examples include
the Colle System and Hippopotamus
Defence.[246]

open lines
Unobstructed files and diagonals. See
also open game.

open tournament
A tournament where anyone can enter,
regardless of rating or invitation.[247]
Cf. closed tournament.

opposite-colored bishops
See bishops on opposite colors.

opposition
A situation in which two kings stand on
the same rank, file or diagonal with one
empty square between them. The
player to move may be forced to move
the king to a less advantageous
square. Opposition is a particularly
important concept in endgames.[248]
Cf. corresponding squares.

optimal play
See Best response. Both sides playing
their best move at each turn, or one of
equally good alternatives. One side
tries to win as quickly as possible
while the other side tries to delay it as
long as possible, or optimal play may
result in a draw. Cf. Solved
game#Perfect play.

OTB
An abbreviation for over the board.[249]

outpost
An outpost is a square protected by a
pawn that is in or near the enemy's
stronghold. Outposts are a favorable
position from which to launch an
attack, particularly using a knight.[250]

outside passed pawn

A passed pawn near the edge of the
board and not in the path of threats
from the opponent's pawns. In the
endgame, such a pawn can constitute
a strong advantage, because it
threatens to promote, and it also
diverts the opponent's forces to
restrain its advance.[251]

overextended
An overextended position results when
a player has advanced pawns too far
into his opponent's side without
sufficient support. The premature
advance can leave weaknesses in the
player's camp or the advanced pawns
themselves may be weak
("overextended pawns").[252]

overloaded
A piece that has too many defensive
duties. An overloaded piece can
sometimes be deflected, or required to
abandon one of its defensive
duties.[253]

overprotection
The strategy of protecting an
important pawn or square more than is
apparently necessary. This serves to
dissuade the opponent from attacking
that point, and the latent power of the
"over protectors" assembled around an
important point, is a significant threat
that can bear fruit at a small tactical
change in the position. Aron
Nimzowitsch coined the term and was
a proponent of overprotection.[254]

over the board

1.  A game played face-to-face with the
opponent, as opposed to a remote
opponent as in online chess or
correspondence chess.
2.  Analysis carried out during a game
in real time (not necessarily a face-to-
face game) as opposed to during
preparation. Finding accurate moves
over the board is harder than finding
 them with computer assistance in
one's own time. "I looked up the gambit
Smith played and there's a line that
refutes it, but I couldn't find it over the
board."[249]
Abbr. OTB.

overworked
A synonym for overloaded.[255]

P
P
Symbol used for the pawn when
recording chess positions in English.
Also used for the pawn when recording
chess moves in descriptive notation.

pairing
The assignment of opponents in a
tournament. The most common
pairing methods used in chess
tournaments are round-robin and the
Swiss system.[256]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
  
5    
    5
   
4    4
 
3   3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

White with a
passed pawn on
b7. Black has a
passed pawn on
g6.

passed pawn
A pawn that has no pawn of the
opposite color on its file or on any
adjacent files on its way to
queening.[199]

passer
A passed pawn.[257]

passive
Describes a piece or pawn that is
inactive and able to move to or control
relatively few squares, or a position
without possibilities for attack. or
counterplay.[254] Antonym: active.
passive sacrifice
The sacrifice of a piece, by moving a
different piece, leaving the sacrificed
piece under attack.

pattern recognition
A part of chess thinking that involves
remembering and recognizing certain
recurring aspects large and small,
visual and dynamic. It is a kind of
thinking that gives an advantage to a
player with great experience. It is
distinct from the intellectual activity of
calculation. It uses intuitive thinking
that is familiar to humans, but is
foreign to computers. It can be
developed by studying chess puzzles.
It has been studied by Adriaan de
Groot, and other scientists, who have
attempted to discover how chess
players think.[258][259]

patzer
A weak chess player (from German:
patzen, "to bungle").[260] See also
woodpusher.

pawn
 

pawn and move

A type of odds game, common in the
18th and 19th centuries, in which the
superior player plays Black and begins
the game with one of their pawns,
usually the king bishop pawn, removed
from the board; plus White gets an
extra move at the start.[261]

pawn break
A pawn move that attacks an enemy
pawn in order to open up lines and/or
challenge the opponent's pawn
structure. See also break.
 abcde f gh abcde f gh
8 88 8
7 77 7
6 66 6
                            
5               5 5 
   
 
 
     5
   
4         44     4
   
3               3 3 
       
 
       
     3
     
2 22 2
1 11 1
abcde f gh abcde f gh

White has a large

pawn center in Pawn chains in
the King's Indian the French
Defence, Four Defence
Pawns Attack.

pawn center
Or pawn centre. A player's pawns in
the center of the board. Pawns on the
squares adjacent to the center may
also be considered part of the pawn
center. Having a strong pawn center
was considered absolutely essential
until the hypermodernist school
introduced some new ideas.[262] See
King's Indian Defence, Four Pawns
Attack for an example of an opening
leading to an extended pawn center.

pawn chain
Two or more pawns of the same color
diagonally linked. A pawn chain’s
weakest point is the base, because it is
not protected by another pawn.[254]
See also pawn structure.
 Lichtenhein
vs. Morphy,
1857
abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
       
5           5
 
     
4   4
3                     3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Black has three

pawn islands and
White has two.
The pawn on e5
is not isolated
because it is
adjacent a file
 adjacent a file
that has a white
pawn.

pawn island
A group of pawns of one color on
consecutive files with no other pawns
of the same color on an adjacent file. A
pawn island consisting of one pawn is
an isolated pawn.[263]

pawn majority
See majority.

pawn race
A situation where both opponents are
pushing a passed pawn in effort to be
first to promote.

pawn roller
Two connected passed pawns. "Roller"
refers to their ability to defend one
another as they advance toward
promotion.

pawn skeleton
See pawn structure.

pawn storm
An attacking technique where a group
of pawns on one wing is advanced to
break up the defense.[264]

pawn structure
The placement of the pawns during the
course of a game. As pawns are the
least mobile of the pieces and the only
pieces unable to move backwards, the
position of the pawns greatly
influences the character of the
game.[265]

PCA
An abbreviation for the Professional
Chess Association.

performance rating
A number reflecting the approximate
rating level at which a player
performed in a particular tournament
or match. It is often calculated by
adding together the player's
performances in each individual game,
using the opponent's rating for a draw,
adding 400 points to the opponent's
rating for a win, and subtracting 400
points from the opponent's rating for a
loss, then dividing by the total number
of games. For example, a player who
beat a 2400-rated player, lost to a
2600, drew a 2500, and beat a 2300,
would have a performance rating of
2550 (i.e. 2800 + 2200 + 2500 + 2700,
divided by 4).[266]

perpetual check
When a player puts the opponent in
check, and the check could be
repeated endlessly, the game will be
declared a draw by repetition. The
expression is often shortened to
perpetual. This tactic can be resorted
to as a form of insurance in a losing
position.[267]
PGN
An abbreviation for Portable Game
Notation.[268]

Philidor position
Usually refers to an important chess
endgame that illustrates a drawing
technique when the defender has a
king and rook versus a king, rook, and
pawn. It is also known as the third rank
defense, because of the importance of
the rook on the third rank cutting off
the opposing king. It was analyzed by
Philidor in 1777.[269] See also Rook and
pawn versus rook endgame.

piece
1.  One of the chessmen or figures
used to play the game—king, queen,
rook, bishop, knight or pawn. Each
piece type has its own rules of
movement on the board. This is the
definition used in the context of the
rules of chess, for example the
touched piece rule.
2.  When annotating or discussing
chess games, the term "piece" usually
excludes pawns. It may be used
collectively for all "non-pawns", for
example "White's pieces are well
posted". In some contexts, it may refer
specifically to a minor piece, for
example "I hung a piece" or "I
sacrificed a piece for two pawns".[270]
pin
When a piece is attacked but cannot
legally move, because doing so would
expose the player’s own king to the
attack; or when a piece is attacked and
can legally move out of the line of
attack, but such a move would expose
a more valuable piece (or an
unprotected piece) to capture.[230] See
absolute pin and relative pin.

plan
A strategy employed in a specific
position to optimize a player's
advantages while minimizing the
impact of positional disadvantages.

playable
Said of an opening, a position, or move
that gives the person playing it a
tenable position.[271]

play by hand
To make a move intuitively and without
analyzing the move.[272]

ply
Term mainly used in computer chess
to denote one play of either White or
Black. Thus equal to half a move.

abcde f gh
8             8
       
7       
  7
     
6   6
           
5       5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Black has
accepted the

"poisoned" b2-
pawn with
8...Qxb2 in the
Sicilian Defence,
Najdorf Variation.

poisoned pawn
An unprotected pawn that, if captured,
causes positional problems or material
loss.[263]

Poisoned Pawn Variation

A variation of the Najdorf Variation of
the Sicilian Defence, where some
players call White's pawn on b2 a
poisoned pawn since capturing it is
dangerous for Black.[273]

Portable Game Notation

This is a popular computer-processible
ASCII format for recording chess
games (both the moves and related
data).[268] Abbr. PGN.

positional play
Play based on strategy, on gaining and
exploiting small advantages, and on
analyzing the larger position, rather
than calculating the more immediate
tactics.[263]
positional player
A player who specializes in positional
play, as distinguished from a tactician.

positional sacrifice
A sacrifice in which the lost material is
not regained via a combination, but
instead gains positional
compensation. These typically require
deep positional understanding and are
often overlooked by computers. Also
known as a true sacrifice, as opposed
to a pseudo sacrifice or sham sacrifice.

post-mortem
Analysis of a game after it has
concluded, typically by one or both
players and sometimes with
spectators (kibitzers) contributing as
well. A player who has just lost the
game thanks to a dubious move has
the chance to win the post-mortem by
finding a better one.[263]

preparation
See opening preparation.

prepared variation
A well-analyzed novelty in the opening
that is not published but first used
against an opponent in competitive
play.[274]

Principle of two weaknesses

A technique of increasing one's
advantage by causing the opponent,
who has one weakness, to have a
second weakness. Even if both
weaknesses are minor, the fact of
having two, in practice, becomes a
major weakness.[275]

priyome
A Russian term for particular tactics
that depend on pawn structure.[276]

problem-like
An elegant and counterintuitive tactical
shot, of the type generally found in
chess problems rather than in actual
play, can be termed problem-like.

promotion
Advancing a pawn to the eighth rank,
converting it to a queen, rook, bishop
or knight. Promotion to a piece other
than a queen is called
underpromotion.[230]

prophylaxis
A strategy that frustrates and protects
against an opponent's plan or tactic for
fear of the consequences.[263] See also
blockade, overprotection, and
mysterious rook move.

protected passed pawn

A passed pawn that is supported by
another pawn.[277]

pseudo sacrifice
See sham sacrifice.

push
To move a pawn forward (v.), or a
pawn move forward (n.).
Q
Q
Symbol used for the queen when
recording chess moves in English.[23]

QGA
The Queen's Gambit Accepted
opening.[278]

QGD
The Queen's Gambit Declined
opening.[279]

QID
The Queen's Indian Defense
opening.[280]

quad
A round-robin style tournament
between four players, where each
participant plays every other
participant once.

queen
1.   
2.  Used as a verb for the act of
promoting a pawn to a queen.[78]

queen bishop
The bishop that is on the queenside at
the start of the game. It is abbreviated
"QB".[281] Also called queen's bishop.

queening
Promotion to a queen. Also called
promotion. Rarely used to indicate
promotion to a knight, rook, or bishop
(i.e. underpromotion) as well.[199]

queen knight
The knight that is on the queenside at
the start of the game. The terms queen
bishop and queen rook are also used.
Sometimes abbreviated "QN", "QB", and
"QR", respectively.[78] Also called
queen's knight.

queen pawn
A pawn on the queen's file, i.e. the d-
file. Sometimes abbreviated "QP". Also
queen rook pawn (QRP), queen knight
pawn (QNP), and queen bishop pawn
(QBP) for a pawn on the a-, b-, or c-file,
respectively.[78] Also called queen's
pawn.

queen pawn opening

An opening that begins 1.d4. Also
called queen's pawn opening.

queen rook
The rook that is on the queenside at
the start of the game. The terms queen
bishop and queen knight are also used.
Sometimes abbreviated "QR", "QB", and
"QN", respectively.[78] Also called
queen's rook.

queenside
The side of the board (board-half) the
queens are on at the start of the game
(the a- through d-file), as opposed to
 the kingside.[36] Also called queen's
side or queen's wing.

quickplay finish
The same as sudden death.[282]

quiet move
A move that does not attack or capture
an enemy piece.[283]

R
R
Symbol used for the rook when
recording chess moves in English.[23]

Rabar classification
A system of opening classification
codes introduced by Braslav Rabar for
Chess Informant. The system was
used by Informant publications from
1966 to 1981 but has since been
replaced by ECO codes.[284]

raking bishops
Another term for Horwitz bishops.[285]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
       
5         5
 
   
4   4
   
3       
   
 3
 
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

White ranks are

indicated at the
left (a-file); Black
left (a file); Black
ranks are
indicated at the
right (h-file).

rank
A row of the chessboard. In algebraic
notation, ranks are numbered 1–8
starting from White's side of the board;
however, players customarily refer to
ranks from their own perspectives. For
example: White's king and other pieces
start on his or her first (or "back") rank,
whereas Black calls the same rank the
eighth rank; White's seventh rank is
Black's second; and so on. If neither
perspective is given, White's view is
assumed. This relative reference to
ranks was formalized in the older
descriptive notation.[286]

rapid chess
A form of chess with reduced time
limit, usually 30 minutes per player.

recapture
The capture of an opponent's piece
that previously made a capture, and
usually played immediately following
the opponent's capture move. The
capture and recapture occur on the
same square, and usually the pieces
captured and recaptured have the
same value.

refute
To demonstrate that a strategy, move,
or opening is not as good as previously
thought (often, that it leads to a loss),
or that previously published analysis is
unsound. A refutation is sometimes
colloquially referred to as a bust. A
refutation in the context of chess
problems or endgame studies is often
called a cook.[287]

related squares
See corresponding squares.

relative pin
A pin where it is legal to move the
pinned piece out of the line of attack.
Contrast with absolute pin where the
pinned piece is not permitted to move
because it would expose the king to
check.

repertoire
See opening repertoire.

reserve tempo
A move a player has available. Such a
move may not be crucial to the
position on the board, but being able to
force the opponent to move by making
a reserve move can on occasion result
in a significant advantage.[288]

resign
To concede loss of the game. A
resignation is usually indicated by
stopping the clocks, sometimes by
offering a handshake, or by saying "I
resign". A traditional way to resign was
by tipping over one's king, but this is
not done nowadays. It is common for a
game to be resigned, rather than for it
to end with checkmate, because
experienced players can foresee the
checkmate.[289][290]

resign on time
A player who in a hopeless position
intentionally runs out of time to avoid
having to resign can be said to have
resigned on time. This is usually
performed in a more subtle manner
than that of Curt von Bardeleben
walking out of the tournament hall
against Wilhelm Steinitz. A player low
on time and in a losing position may
simply "forget" to pay any attention to
the clock.

Romantic chess
Romantic chess was the style of chess
prevalent in the 19th century. It is
characterized by bold attacks and
sacrifices.[291]

rook
 

rook lift
A maneuver that places a rook in front
of its own pawns, often on the third or
fourth rank. This can allow the rook to
treat a half-open file as if it were an
open file, or a closed file as if it were
half-open.[292]
rook pawn
A pawn on the rook's file, i.e. the a-file
or h-file. Sometimes abbreviated
"RP".[78] Also called rook's pawn.

round-robin tournament
This is a tournament in which each
participant plays every other
participant an equal number of times.
In a double round-robin tournament the
participants play each other exactly
twice, once with white and once with
black. A round robin tournament is
commonly used if the number of
participants is relatively small.[293] See
also Swiss tournament.

royal fork
 A fork threatening the king and
queen.[294]

royal piece
A king or queen.[78] In chess variants,
the term refers to any piece that must
be protected from capture; under this
definition, only the king is royal in
orthodox chess.

S
S
[from German: Springer, "jumper"]
Alternate notation for the knight. Used
rather than K, which means king.

sac
Short for sacrifice, usually used to
describe a sacrifice for a mating
attack.[293]

sacrifice
A move or capture that voluntarily
gives up material in return for an
advantage such as space,
development, or an attack. A sacrifice
in the opening is called a gambit,
especially when applied to a pawn.[289]

SAN
An abbreviation for standard (or short)
algebraic notation (e.g. 1.Nf3), as
opposed to long algebraic notation
(e.g. 1.Ng1-f3).

sans voir
[from French] See blindfold chess.
 

Scholar's mate

Scholar's mate
A four-move checkmate (common
among novices) in which White plays
1.e4, follows with Qh5 (or Qf3) and
Bc4, and finishes with 4.Qxf7#.[161]

score
See game score.
 

A score sheet

score sheet
The sheet of paper used to record a
game in progress. During formal
games, it is usual for both players to
record the game using a score sheet. A
completed score sheet contains the
game score.[169]

sealed move
Lengthy OTB games can be adjourned.
To prevent unfair advantage, the
players can agree on the next move
being secretly recorded in a sealed
envelope. Upon resumption, the arbiter
makes the sealed move and the game
continues. See also Adjournment
(games).

second
An assistant hired to help a player in
preparation for and during a major
match or tournament. The second
assists in areas such as opening
preparation. The second assisted with
adjournment analysis, before the
practice of adjournments was
abandoned in the 1990s.[295]
second player
The expression "the second player" is
sometimes used to refer to Black.

seesaw
See windmill.

Semi-Closed Game
An opening that begins with White
playing 1.d4 and Black replying with a
move other than 1...d5. See also Open
Game and Closed Game.

Semi-Open Game
An opening that begins with White
playing 1.e4 and Black replying with a
move other than 1...e5.[296] Also called
a half-open game.[297] See also Open
Game and Closed Game.
sham sacrifice
An offer of material that is made at no
risk, as acceptance would lead to the
gain of equal or greater material or
checkmate. This is in contrast to a true
sacrifice in which the compensation is
less tangible. Also called a pseudo
sacrifice.[298]

sharp
Risky, double-edged, highly tactical.
Sharp can be used to describe moves,
maneuvers, positions, and styles of
play.[299]

shot
Slang for an unexpected or sharp move
that typically makes a tactical threat or
technical challenge for the opponent.

silent move
A move that has a dynamic tactical
effect on a position, but that does not
capture or attack an enemy
piece.[300][301] See also quiet move.

simplification
A strategy of exchanging pieces, often
with one of the following goals: as a
defensive measure to reduce the size
of an attacking force, when having the
advantage to reduce the opponent's
counterplay, to try to obtain a draw, or
as an attempt to gain an advantage by
players who are strong in endgame
play with simplified positions.[302] Also
called liquidation.

A simultaneous exhibition

simultaneous chess
A form of chess in which one player
plays against several players
simultaneously. It is usually an
exhibition.[303]

sitzfleisch
[from German, "sitting flesh"] The
ability to sit still.[304]
skewer
An attack on a valuable piece,
compelling it to move to avoid capture
and thus expose a less valuable piece
which can then be taken.[305] See also
X-ray.

skittles
A casual or "pickup" game, usually
played without a chess clock. At chess
tournaments, a skittles room is where
one goes to play for fun while waiting
for the next formal game.[303]

smothered mate
A checkmate delivered by a knight in
which the mated king is unable to
escape because it is surrounded (or
smothered) by its own pieces.[306]

Sofia rules
In the tournament played by Sofia
rules, players are not allowed to draw
by agreement. They could have draws
by stalemate, threefold repetition, fifty-
move rule, or insufficient material.
Other draws are allowed only if the
arbiter declares the game reached a
drawn position.[307]

solid
An adjective used to describe a move,
opening, or manner of play that is
characterized by minimal risk-taking
and emphasis on quiet positional play
rather than wild tactics.

sortie
A queen development in front of its
own pawns, often early in the opening,
usually for the purpose of exploiting an
advantage in space or punishing an
error by the opponent. So called
because the queen is usually
developed behind its own pawns for its
protection.

sound
A correct move or plan. A sound
sacrifice has sufficient compensation,
a sound opening or variation has no
known refutation, and a sound puzzle
or composition has no known
cooks.[289] Antonym: unsound.

space
The squares controlled by a player. A
player controlling more squares than
the other is said to have a spatial
advantage.[289]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
             
5       
 
     5
   
4   4
 
3          
     
     3
 
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh
 The Spanish
bishop on b5 in
the Ruy Lopez.

Spanish bishop
A white king bishop developed to b5.
This is characteristic of the Ruy Lopez,
also known as the Spanish Opening.

speed chess
See blitz chess.

spite check
A harmless check given by a player
who is about to lose the game, that
serves no purpose other than to
momentarily delay the defeat.[308]

squeeze
Making pawn moves that limit mobility,
freedom and options for the opponent,
typically causing a zugzwang.[309]

stalemate
A position in which the player whose
turn it is to move has no legal move
and their king is not in check. A
stalemate results in an immediate
draw.[74]

starting square
A piece's starting square is the square
it occupies at the beginning of the
game.

Staunton chessmen
Staunton chess set
The standard design of chess pieces,
required for use in competition.[310]

stem game
A stem game is the chess game
featuring the first use of a particular
opening variation. Sometimes, the
player or the venue of the stem game
is then used to refer to that opening.

strategic crush
Win characterised by gradual
accumulation of advantages and
complete prevention of counterplay.

strategy
The basis of a player's moves. The
evaluation of positions and ways to
achieve goals. Strategy is often
contrasted with tactics, which are the
calculations of more immediate plans
and combinations.[311]

strong
A forceful or good move, a position
having good winning chances, a highly
rated player or one successful in
tournaments, or a tournament having a
sizable number of strong players
competing, such as grandmasters. A
"strong showing" refers to a player's
high win ratio in a tournament.
Antonym: weak, e.g. a weak square.
stronger side
The side with a material or positional
advantage.[312]

strongpoint
1.  A "strongpoint defense" means an
opening that defends and retains a
central pawn (White: e4 or d4; Black:
e5 or d5), as opposed to exchanging
the pawn and relinquishing occupation
of that central square.
2.  More generically, a strongpoint can
be any square heavily defended.

strong square
A square on a player's 4th or greater
rank on which the player can post a
piece that cannot or will not be driven
away by enemy pawns.[313] Cf. weak
square.

sudden death
The most straightforward time control
for a chess game: each player has a
fixed amount of time available to make
all moves. See also fast chess.

support point
A square that cannot be attacked by a
pawn, and that can be occupied as a
home base for a piece, usually a
knight.[311]

swindle
A ruse or trick played from a position
that is inferior.[311]

Swiss tournament
A system used in tournaments to
determine pairings. In every round
each player is paired with an opponent
with the same or similar score.[314] See
also round-robin tournament.

Example of
symmetry
abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
    
5              5
   
 
4   4
     
3            3
   
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh
 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5
3. exd5 exd5
4.Bd3 Bd6 5.Nf3
Nf6 6.0-0 0-0
7.Bg5 Bg4 8.Re1
Nbd7 9.Nbd2 c6
10.c3 Qc7
11.Qc2 Rfe8
12.Bh4 Bh5
13.Bg3 Bxg3
14.hxg3 Bg6
15.Rxe8+ Rxe8
16.Bxg6 hxg6
17.Re1
(diagram).
Capablanca–
Maróczy,
1926.[315] The
game continued
symmetry
17...Rxe1+
18.Nxe1 Ne8
A symmetrical position on the
19.Nd3 Nd6
chessboard means the positions of
 20.Qb3pieces
one's a6 21.Kf1
are exactly mirrored by
½–½
the opponent's pieces. This most often
occurs when Black mimics White's
opening moves. Black is said to break
symmetry when they make a move no
longer imitating White's move.[311]

system
See opening system.

T
tabia
[from Arabic: ‫ ﻃﺒﻴﻌﺔ‬ṭabīʕa, "essence"]
Also tabiya. In chess openings a tabia
is a key point. It may be a well-known
“point of departure” where variations
branch off, it may be a position that is
reached so often that the real game
begins after this initial series of book
moves.[316][317]

tablebase
See endgame tablebase.

tactician
A player who specializes in tactical
play, as distinguished from a positional
player.

tactics
Combinations, traps, and threats. Play
characterized by short-term attacks,
requiring calculation by the players, as
distinguished from positional play.[311]

takeback
Used in casual games whereby both
players agree to undo one or more
moves.

Tarrasch rule
The general principle that rooks usually
should be placed behind passed
pawns, either one's own or one's
opponent's. Named after Siegbert
Tarrasch.[318]

TD
An abbreviation for tournament
director.[314]

technique
The manner in which a player converts
an advantageous position into a win.

tempo
A unit of time considered as one move.
A player may gain a tempo in the
opening when the opponent moves the
same piece twice. In the endgame, one
may wish to lose a tempo by
triangulation in order to gain the
opposition.[311] Plural: tempos or
tempi.

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
           
5               5
 
4     4
 
3                  3
   
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

This Scotch
Opening position
Opening position
contains tension
due to the
knights on c6
and d4. Both
knights are
currently

adequately
defended, so
neither player is
forced to release
the tension.

tension
A position in which there are one or
more exchanges possible, such as a
pair of pawns facing each other on a
diagonal where either can capture the
other, is said to contain tension. Such a
situation differs from a threat in that it
does not need to be immediately
resolved – for example, if both pawns
are defended. The consequences of
resolving the tension must be
constantly considered by both players,
in case there is a possibility of winning
or losing material. This makes
calculating the best move more
complicated, and so there is a natural
temptation to release the tension by
making a like-for-like exchange (see
simplification) or by moving the
attacked piece. To keep the tension is
to avoid resolving it, which is
sometimes good advice depending on
the position.

text move
This term is used in written analysis of
chess games to refer to a move
actually played in the game as
opposed to other possible moves. Can
be shortened to "text", for example
"The text is inferior as it allows ...f5".
Text moves are usually in bold whereas
analysis moves are not.

thematic
Suited to the demands of the position.
The term "thematic move" is often
applied to the key move of a thematic
plan.[319]

theme tournament
A chess tournament in which every
game must begin with a particular
opening specified by the organizers,
for example the Budapest Gambit
(1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e5).

theoretical draw
See book draw.

theoretical novelty
A move in the opening that has not
been played before.[320] Abbr. TN or N.

threat
A plan or move that carries an
intention to damage the opponent's
position. A threat is a tactical weapon
that must be defended against.[321]

threefold repetition
A draw may be claimed if the same
position occurs three times with the
same player to move; and with each
player having the choice of the same
set of moves each time, including the
right to capture en passant and the
right to castle.[322]

tiebreaks
See Tie-breaking in Swiss-system
tournaments. This refers to a number
of different systems that are used to
break ties, and thus designate a single
winner, where multiple players or
teams tie for the same place in a Swiss
system chess tournament.

time
1.  In chess "time" refers to the amount
of time each player has to think and
calculate as measured by a chess
clock.
2.  The number of moves to complete
an objective; for example, if a king is
racing to stop a pawn from queening,
and the king has too few moves, that
may be referred to as "not enough
time".[311] See also tempo.

time control
The allowed time to play a game,
usually measured by a chess clock. A
time control can require either a
certain number of moves be made per
time period (e.g. 40 moves in 2½
hours) or it can limit the length of the
entire game (e.g. 5 minutes per game
for blitz). Hybrid schemes are used,
and time delay controls have become
popular since the widespread use of
digital clocks.[83]

time delay
A time control that makes it possible
for a player to avoid having an ever-
decreasing amount of time remaining
(as is the case with sudden death).
The most important time delays in
chess are Bronstein delay and Fischer
delay.

time pressure
Also called time trouble. Having very
little time on one's clock (especially
less than five minutes) to complete
one's remaining moves. See time
control.

TN
An abbreviation for theoretical novelty.

top board
See first board.

touched piece rule

Also called touch-move rule. The rule
that requires a player who touches a
piece to move that piece unless the
piece has no legal moves. If a player
moves a piece to a particular square
and takes their hand off it, the move
must be to that square if it is a legal
move. Castling must be initiated by
moving the king first, so a player who
touches their rook may be required to
move the rook, without castling. The
rule also requires a player who touches
an opponent's piece to capture it if
possible. In order to adjust the position
of a piece within its square without
being required to move it, the player
should say "J'adoube" or "I adjust".[321]

Tata Steel Tournament 2013

tournament
A competition involving more than two
players or teams, generally played at a
single venue (or series of venues) in a
relatively short period of time. A
tournament is divided into rounds, with
each round consisting either of
individual games or matches in the
case of knockout tournaments and
team tournaments. The assignment of
opponents is called pairing, with the
most popular systems being round-
robin and Swiss. Tournaments are
usually referred to by combining the
city in which they were played with the
year, as in "London 1851", although
there are well-known exceptions, such
as "AVRO 1938".
tournament book
A book recording the scores of all the
games in a tournament, usually with
analysis of the best or most important
games and some background on the
event and its participants. One well-
known example is Bronstein's Zurich
International Chess Tournament 1953.
The less comprehensive tournament
bulletin is usually issued between the
rounds of a prestigious event, giving
the players and world media an instant
record of the games of the previous
round. Individual copies may be
bundled together at the conclusion of
the event to provide an inexpensive
alternative to the tournament book.[323]
tournament director
Organizer and arbiter of a tournament,
responsible for enforcing the
tournament rules and the laws of
chess. Abbr. TD. Also tournament
controller [chiefly British].

trade
See exchange.

transposition
Arriving at a position using a different
sequence of moves.[151]

abcde f gh
8            8
             
7    
    7
   
6   6
           
5           5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

With 4...Nbd7
Black sets a trap
in the QGD (1.d4
d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3
Nf6 4.Bg5). White
cannot win the
pawn on d5 due
to the Elephant
Trap.

trap
A move that may tempt the opponent
to play a losing move.[324] See also
swindle and List of chess traps.
 abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
 
5 5
   
4     4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

Trébuchet,
whoever has the
move loses.
1.Kg4 Kxe4 2.Kg3
Ke3 3.Kg2 Ke2
4.Kg3 e4 5.Kf4 e3
6.Ke4 Kf2 and
the black pawn
will queen.
trébuchet
A theoretical position of mutual
zugzwang in which either player would
lose if it were their turn to move.[325]
[from French, a type of siege engine]

triangulation
A technique used in king and pawn
endgames (less commonly seen with
other pieces) to lose a tempo and gain
the opposition.[326]

tripled pawns
Three pawns of the same color on the
same file; considered a weakness due
to their inability to defend each
other.[327]

Troitsky line
 Also Troitzky line. Endgame analysis
by Alexey Troitsky of two knights
versus a pawn found certain pawn
positions that result in win, draw or
loss. The resulting pawn positions on
each file form what is known as the
Troitsky line or Troitsky position.[328]

two bishops
A synonym for bishop pair.[329] Also
called the two bishops.

U
undermining
A tactic (also known as removal of the
guard) in which a defensive piece is
captured, leaving one of the
opponent's pieces undefended or
underdefended.[330]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
 
5     5
 
4  4
 
3   3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

White to move
should
underpromote
the c7-pawn to a
rook; promoting
to a queen gives
stalemate.
underpromotion
Promoting a pawn to a rook, bishop, or
knight instead of a queen. Rarely seen
unless the knight can deliver a crucial
check, or when promotion to a rook or
a bishop instead of a queen is
necessary to avoid stalemate.[230]

United States Chess Federation

This is a nonprofit organization, the
governing chess organization within
the United States, and one of the
federations of the FIDE. Abbr. USCF.

unorthodox opening
See irregular opening.

unpinning
 The act of breaking a pin by
interposing a second piece between
the attacker and the target. This allows
the piece that was formerly pinned to
move.

unsound
Antonym of sound.

USCF
An abbreviation for the United States
Chess Federation.

V
vacating sacrifice
A sacrifice made for the purpose of
clearing a square for a different piece
of the same color.
valve
A move that opens one line and closes
another.

variant
See chess variant.

variation
1.  A sequence of moves or an
alternative line of play, often applied to
the opening. A variation does not have
to have been played in a game, it may
also be a possibility that occurs only in
analysis.[324] Also called continuation.
2.  The word Variation is also used to
name specific sequences of moves
within an opening. For an example, the
Dragon Variation is part of the Sicilian
Defence.[79]

vertical line
See file.

W
waiting move
A move that makes no threats except
that it puts the obligation to move on
the opponent. A waiting move is
effective when the opponent has
nothing but bad moves available (i.e. is
in zugzwang).[331]

WCC
An abbreviation for the World Chess
Championship.[332]
weakness
A pawn or square that can be attacked
and is hard to defend.[333]

weak square
A square that cannot be easily
defended from attack by an opponent.
Often a weak square is unable to be
defended by pawns (a hole) and can be
theoretically occupied by a piece.
Exchange or loss of a bishop may
make all squares of that bishop's color
weak resulting in a "weak square
complex" on the light squares or the
dark squares.[334]

WFM
An abbreviation for the Woman FIDE
Master title.[335]

WGM
An abbreviation for the Woman
Grandmaster title.[335]

white
The light-colored squares on the
chessboard are often referred to as
"the white squares" even though they
often are some other light color.
Similarly, "the white pieces" are
sometimes actually some other
(usually light) color.[38] See also black.

White
The designation for the player who
moves first, even though the
corresponding pieces, referred to as
"the white pieces", are sometimes
actually some other (usually light)
color. See also Black and first-move
advantage.

WIM
An abbreviation for the Woman
International Master title.[336]

win
A victory for one of the two players in a
game, which may occur due to
checkmate, resignation by the other
player, the other player exceeding the
time control, or the other player being
forfeited by the tournament director.
Chess being a zero-sum game, this
results in a loss for the other player. In
a tournament a bye may be scored as
a win.[337] See winning position.

windmill
A combination in which two pieces
work together to deliver an alternating
series of checks and discovered
checks in such a way that the
opposing king is required to move on
each turn. It is a potent technique,
since, on every other move, the
discovered check may allow the non-
checking piece to capture an enemy
piece without losing a tempo. The
most famous example is Torre–Lasker,
Moscow 1925.[338] Also called a
seesaw.
wing
The queenside a-, b-, and c-files; or the
kingside f-, g-, and h-files.[339] Also
called flank.

Wing Gambit
The name given to variations of several
openings in which one player gambits
a wing pawn, usually the b-pawn.[340]

winning percentage
A number calculated by adding
together the number of games won
and half of the number of games
drawn, (ignoring the losses) then
dividing that total by the total number
of games that were played. Another
way of calculating the winning
percentage is by taking the percentage
of games won by a player plus half the
percentage of drawn games. Thus, if
out of 100 games a player wins 40
percent, draws 32 percent, and loses
28 percent, the winning percentage is
40 plus half of 32, i.e. 56 percent.[341]

winning position
A position is said to be a winning if one
specified side, with correct play, can
eventually force a checkmate against
any defense (i.e. perfect defense).[342]
Also called a won game.

Woman FIDE Master

A women-only chess title ranking
below Woman International
Master.[335] Abbr. WFM.

Woman Grandmaster
The highest ranking gender-restricted
chess title except for Women's World
Champion.[335] Abbr. WGM.

Woman International Master

A women-only chess title ranking
below Woman Grandmaster and above
Woman FIDE Master.[335] Abbr. WIM.

won game
See winning position.

wood
Slang for pieces. "A lot of wood came
off the board" conveys that several
piece exchanges occurred.[82]

woodpusher
A weak chess player, also referred to
as a patzer or duffer. Colloquial,
typically derogatory.[343]

World Champion
A winner of the World Chess
Championship.[332]

wrong-colored bishop
See wrong rook pawn.[344]

wrong rook pawn

With a bishop, a rook pawn may be the
wrong rook pawn, depending on
whether or not the bishop controls its
promotion square.[345]

abcde f gh
8   8
 
 7     7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

A wrong rook
pawn at a5 with a
wrong-colored
bishop. In this
position, White
cannot force
promotion and
Black can force a
draw.

X
 abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
    
5      5
 
4 4
3   
     3
 
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

An example of an
X-ray defense:
The white queen
has just put the
king in check,
and the white
rook provides an
X-ray defense of
the white queen.
X-ray
When the power of a piece, either to
attack or to defend, seems to pass
through an intervening enemy piece.
The X-ray attack, also known as a
skewer, involves two pieces of the
same color both caught in the same
line of attack along a diagonal, rank, or
file. The attacking piece forces the first
and more valuable piece to move out
of the way, which allows the second
piece to be captured. As a defensive
tactic the X-ray occurs when one piece
is defended by another piece, through
an attacking enemy piece standing
between the two.[346]
Z
zeitnot
[from German, "time crisis"] Having
very little time on the clock to
complete the remaining moves of a
timed game.[347] Synonyms: time
pressure and time trouble.

Zonal tournaments
Tournaments organised by FIDE, the
first qualifying cycle of the World
Chess Championship. Each zonal
tournament features top players of a
certain geographical zone. Up until
1993 the winners went on to Interzonal
tournaments. This was replaced by a
system where the winners now play
each other in knockout-style
competitions to determine who goes
on to the Candidates Tournament.[348]

abcde f gh
8 8
7 7
6 6
 
5 5
   
4     4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde f gh

A position of
mutual zugzwang
(which is also
called
Trébuchet).
Either White or
Either White or
Black to move
will lead to their
pawn being
captured.

zugzwang
[from German, "compulsion to move"]
When a player is put at a disadvantage
by having to make a move; where any
legal move weakens the position.
Zugzwang usually occurs in the
endgame, and rarely in the
middlegame.[349]

zwischenschach
[from German, "in-between check"]
Playing a surprising check that your
opponent didn’t consider when he was
 plotting a sequence of moves; a
zwischenzug that is a check.[350]

zwischenzug
[from German, "in-between move"] An
"inbetween" move, or an intermezzo,
played before an expected reply. Often,
but not always, this involves
responding to a threat by posing an
even greater threat, forcing the
opponent to respond to the threat
first.[351]

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264. Waitzkin & Waitzkin 1995, p. 83
265. Pandolfini 1992, p. 238
266. United States Chess Federation
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267. Seirawan 1994, p. 245
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269. Fine 1976, p. 4.
270. Hochberg 2005, p. 11
271. Kaan 2016, p. 16
272. Kavalek, Lubomir. "Chess". The
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275. Dvoretsky 2006, p. 53
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278. Staunton 2009, p. 355
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280. Kaan 2016, pp. 161–62
281. Pandolfini 2009, p. 306
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283. Hertan 2014, p. 193
284. Hooper & Whyld 1992, p. 330
285. Alburt & Parr 2003, p. 113
286. Hooper & Whyld 1992, pp. 331–332
287. Soltis 2013, p. 210
288. Pandolfini 2009, p. 96
289. Silman 1999, p. 441
290. Burgess (2000), p. 481
291. Grooten 2017, p. 51
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293. Ashley 2007, p. 238
294. Seirawan 1994, p. 247
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